Social Ecology London

Democratic Alternative on the European Social Forum

Within a few days the European Social Forum will be launched in Malmö, Sweden. This will mean four days filled with seminars, discussions, music etc. There will be participants coming from more or less all parts of Europe as well as from other parts of the world.

The final program of the 2008 ESF in Malmö consists of 250 seminars, workshops and assemblies, over 400 cultural activities – films, theatre, concerts, poetry, you name it – inaguration, parade, party and closing session. It is all in all the most extensive program ever for the ESF. And of course, more than this, there will be loads of side activities, informal meetings, manifestations and political activism.

The program can be downloaded here (file size: 8 MB, format:pdf):
http://www.esf2008.org/program/updated-esf-2008-programme

In the program we are involved in two arrangements:

On friday 18.00-21.00, seminar with Democratic Alternative and several other organisations at Folkets hus, sal 2, Nobeltorget, Sofielund:

“Degrowth and social rebirth – The logical steps to global survival”

The path of capitalism is based on unlimited growth in production and consumption. This path is pathological and unsustainable – people are becoming aware of this and new groups/movements are being formed. We want to gather these groups, exchange experiences and form a European network of degrowth groups/activists. The aim is to build strategies and alternatives to the current growth paradigm.

On Saturday 11.00-12.30, seminar with Democratic Alternative at Folkets hus, sal 3, Nobeltorget, Sofielund:

“Radicalizing municipalities, developing direct democracy”

Popular power needs to be radically expanded if equality, solidarity and ecology are to be seriously considered. What role can municipal direct democracy play in
implementing such a politics? Could confederations of municipalities build a better system of government than nation states? A seminar on how the theory and practice of Social Ecology and Communalism can help propel the popular movements forward.

We are also in a que to get a space for one more session in the program lead by Social Ecology London and Democratic Alternative. In the case we get the space the ativity will be:

‘Are you prepared for the Big Change? – Movement Building for a Free Society’
Presentation of the ideas of Social Ecology and Communalism, a philosophy and theory advocating popular control over the economy and face-to-face democracy, followed by a discussion on organizational challenges for the future. How do we induce and organize processes that can lead to people power?